General Information
EB 'Pajama' ware refers to a distinctive style in which vessels are covered in a heavy, bright white (lime?) slip over which were painted broad, generally vertical, red stripes. Generally the technique was reserved for small and medium-sized jars, but it also appears on some open shapes. Examples are mostly found in the southernmost portions of Israel, in late EB I horizons.
The precise decoration takes many forms. Often it was done in thick vertical stripes over white slip, but it was also applied in cross-hatching and other arrangements. There are some examples of red painted cross-hatching, in which painters used fine brushes to create delicate patterns of cross-hatching on a bright white background. Examples of this appear in museum collections in Jordan, where they are cited as coming from the Dead Sea Region. They appear to be a local phenomenon, possibly derived from one or another workshop of skilled potters with very sure hands.
The fabrics vary considerably, and some sites yielded many vessels of similar fabrics and types of vessels. This suggests the likelihood of one or few centers of production. As an example, sites in the central Judean Shephelah, Tel Lod, Horvat ‘Illin Tahtit and Eshta’ol have masses of jars that, when placed together, are virtually indistinguishable on the basis of their proveniences. By contrast, pottery of the late horizons of EB I at Tel Erani is quite different (Braun 2009; 2016a). So too are the Arad and Lahav assemblages, suggesting either on-site production or nearby off-site workshops.
Horvat 'Illin Tahtit (Israel-Palestinian Authority/Central Highlands)
